Addictions

Alright. I have a few addictions. Cheesecake and chocolate, breads and pasta to begin with.

But, books are making me crazy! There are so many and I yearn to read them all! My heart races a bit when I begin looking at books that I haven't read yet. There are weekends that I will read 6-7 novels from Saturday morning to Sunday night. And I'm not at all satisfied, so I'll start another on Monday morning.

Mom would have to pry books out of my hands to get me to do anything when I was a kid. When she expected me to be sleeping, I would be huddled under the blankets with a flashlight or a bed lamp, desperate to finish whatever novel I was reading. She laughed and told me that I didn't read, I consumed books.

Then came a bleak period in my life when I quit reading for pleasure.

I spent a lot of years being way too busy to read. It was awful. There were so many things that took over my life and I was always occupied with something that required my full attention. Any time that I had to read was then occupied by books that I used to research for projects and writing that I wanted to accomplish. I would get so stressed over the things happening around me and in my job and job that I would only be able to sleep after television dulled my mind.

Reading would never put me to sleep because once I became a part of the story, I couldn't leave it until it was finished.

The greatest joy I have right now is a return to reading. Carol asks me to read books so that she can recommend them to her 6th graders. Ah ha! A purpose for reading! Alright, I think she has plenty and I don't know that I need to keep going, but she has unleashed a fiend. I can't stop.

I'm in the middle of "Miracle on 49th Street" right now by Mike Lupica. Yup, so far, I think her kids will enjoy this book. The only problem I've had is that I've been reading anthologies about werewolves, vampires and other fey creatures and it took me awhile to realize that none of these characters were going to turn into something strange. They were all pretty straightforward.

My amazon.com recommendation list is filled with amazing books I have yet to read. It's killing me!

My DVR is filling up with shows that I don't have time to watch because I'm much too busy reading. I have to put the Kindle down so that I can get a few things done around here. But, even as I walk away from it, my mind begins creating stories and characters. I fall asleep at night making up stories and hoping to remember that amazing plotline when I wake the next morning.

I don't know why I'm typing this right now ... Molly is trying to understand something and I just have to turn th